


stop all the clocks

by celegant



Series: beginnings, becomings [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M, au where you and your soulmate have complementary powers, blood mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27486244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celegant/pseuds/celegant
Summary: “One day, Donghyuck, you’re going to find someone,” his mother used to say, back when he was a kid. “And they're going to need you and your powersjustas much as you’ll need them.”(Soulmates, it turns out, work a little differently when you have superpowers. It’s common knowledge growing up, the fact that your soulmate’s abilities are meant to be complementary to your own. Sometimes, it’s obvious.Most of the time though, as Donghyuck comes to learn, it isn’t always so cut and dry.)
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Series: beginnings, becomings [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2041125
Comments: 185
Kudos: 1265
Collections: Challenge #3 — soulmates





	stop all the clocks

Soulmates, it turns out, work a little differently when you have superpowers. It’s common knowledge growing up, the fact that your soulmate’s abilities are meant to be complementary to your own.

Sometimes, it’s obvious. Like the couples that you see on TV and in the movies, with the terrible, cliched combinations like fire and ice, or couples with the ability to manipulate light and shadows. There are other times though, when it isn’t so cut and dry—when finding your soulmate isn’t always so intuitive, and it isn’t until much later that you realize _why_ certain matches are what they are.

“One day, Donghyuck, you’re going to find someone,” his mother used to say, back when he was a kid. “And they're going to need you and your powers _just_ as much as you’ll need them.”

He remembers it vividly, the day his powers had finally manifested.

Most kids grow up and into their powers by the time they learn how to walk. There are some exceptions, of course, with a small percentage of late bloomers, whose powers take a while to develop to their full potential. There are a rare few too, who grow up with no abilities at all.

He remembers waiting, days passing by with no sign of any shiny new powers to call his own. He couldn't talk to plants like his mom, or generate little floating balls of sunlight like his dad.

There was nothing for a long time, not even a single, tiny spark.

Even his own parents had thought he was powerless—though they’d never said it out loud—right up until he'd come home after school one day, scraped knees still aching as he tried his best to hold back the sobs threatening to wrack down his small frame.

It started with a fight, Donghyuck remembers, against a pyrokinetic playground bully that got a little too trigger-happy with his fire.

Donghyuck remembers telling him to knock it off, crouched down next to one of his friends, who'd gotten a bit too close to the flames and had gotten himself burnt in the crossfire. The older kid's face had contorted into anger at Donghyuck’s outburst, orange flames growing in the palm of his hand until they started burning blue.

He remembers seeing the other pull his hand back, ready to lob a fireball straight into Donghyuck's face. He remembers not having enough time to run, helpless to do anything but raise his hands in front of his face, eyes squeezing shut as he braced for impact. He remembers feeling the heat as it rushed towards him, and then—

Nothing.

He'd slowly opened his eyes, brows furrowing in confusion as the other boy blinked back at him in shock. There was a pause, everyone around them frozen at what they’d just witnessed, before the boy’s frown turned into a scowl and he tried to hurl another fireball in Donghyuck’s direction.

He'd seen it then: the way the fireball had started to fizzle out the closer it got to him, growing smaller and smaller until it was barely a wisp of smoke, fading into nothing by the time it made contact with his hand.

He remembers the growing horror in the other kid's eyes. Donghyuck had stared at his own hands unblinkingly, before his friend had grabbed him by the back of his shirt and they'd hightailed it out of there.

They’d only stopped running when the coast was clear.

His friend had given him an odd look then, a wary sort of expression, before taking a pointed step away from Donghyuck and murmuring a quiet thanks. He reminisces sometimes, and thinks he’ll never forget the way his heart sank, plummeting to his stomach, when he’d reached out and his friend had recoiled at the prospect of Donghyuck’s touch.

When he’d finally gotten home, Donghyuck’s eyes stinging with tears, he’d hiccuped his way through an explanation of what happened, hands hesitantly reaching out, palms up, to show his parents how he’d made the kid’s fire just _disappear_. His dad furrowed his brows, his own palm opening up to produce a small ball of light. He’d approached Donghyuck slowly, their eyes widening as the light shrunk, growing dimmer, the closer he got to his son.

The action had only resulted in more of Donghyuck’s tears, fearful and ready to apologize for taking his dad’s powers away—for taking _everyone’s_ powers away. His mom gently shushed him, a hand cradling his head to her chest as she petted his hair, and they watched as Donghyuck’s dad moved back, the light growing stronger with each and every step.

“See, Donghyuck?” his mother said reassuringly. “It’s all okay, you didn’t take their powers away for good. You did nothing wrong, sweetheart.”

The power of nullification, the doctors had said. The ability to cancel out others’ abilities via close proximity. A rare ability, and undoubtedly useful, but at the cost of making it near-impossible to figure out who his soulmate could be.

He thinks back to his mother’s words every now and again, about finding his soulmate, and starts to wonder if, in some ways, it might’ve been easier if he’d been born without any powers at all.

Because really, who in the world would want someone whose only ability was to take someone else’s powers—the thing that makes them special, so intrinsically tied to their identity— _away_?

* * *

Donghyuck tries not to worry about it these days, throwing himself into work instead of thinking about the bleak future of his love life.

Despite the number of hero agencies that had tried to recruit him when he was growing up, he’d turned them all down without a second thought. The glory of hero work never appealed to him, really, and he’d long since decided that there were far more _useful_ applications for his powers instead.

He’d learned to control it, can now choose when to turn his powers on and off, and it’s been a year since he’d started his medical residency—his ability to stop peoples’ powers from going haywire proving to be quite the asset in the ER.

It’s tiring work, and sometimes his powers aren’t enough. But it’s nice, being able to _give back_ for once and not just take.

He bites back another yawn, the exhaustion from an 8-hour shift on the floor quickly catching up to him as he makes his way down the hall to his supervisor’s office. _Dr. Kim Doyoung_ , the nameplate next to the door reads, _Physician-in-Chief_.

“Hey, Doc,” Donghyuck forgoes knocking, more out of habit than anything else, before opening the door. “Jungwoo said you needed me—?”

He stops, hand frozen on the doorknob when he realizes that Doyoung wasn’t alone. He’d just interrupted a meeting, it seems, because there’s another man sitting on one of Doyoung’s guest couches, face half-hidden by a face mask—it’s a vaguely familiar face, Donghyuck notes, but he can’t quite place from where.

“Donghyuck,” Doyoung cuts him off, a pointed eyebrow raising at his sudden entrance. “What did I say about knocking?”

“Shit, sorry—”

Doyoung sighs. “Do you mind waiting outside—”

“Actually, Dr. Kim,” the man on the couch interrupts, voice quiet. “I really should be going.”

“We’re not done here, Minhyung,” Doyoung frowns.

 _Minhyung_ just shakes his head, before getting up, pulling his cap down to conceal more of his face. “I’m cleared to go back on the field, right?” He waits for Doyoung’s hesitant nod, before continuing. “Then that’s good enough for now.”

“Wait—” Doyoung gets up as Minhyung makes to leave, and the worried expression on his face isn’t something that Donghyuck’s ever seen.

“You may be cleared for active duty,” Doyoung continues, voice serious. “But you haven’t been cleared to use your powers yet, do you understand me? You still haven’t fully recovered from the last incident.”

“But—”

“ _Mark Lee_ ,” Doyoung cuts him off. Donghyuck straightens with a jolt at the name, recognition making his eyes grow wide. “No powers. Or I’m telling Baekhyun to put you back on Reserve.”

Mark freezes, eyes flitting briefly over in Donghyuck’s direction and lingering for a second too long, before he nods stiffly and he leaves without another word. The door shuts behind him and Doyoung settles heavily back down into his seat, a tired hand running down his face.

Donghyuck whirls around, disbelief plastered clear all over his face.

“Since when the hell were you assigned to _Supes_?”

* * *

Mark Lee.

SuperM’s latest addition, and the nation’s newest media darling, despite the masses knowing next to nothing about him. With an undisclosed powerset and rare appearances out on the field that you could count on one hand, he’s supposedly only sent out on the most dangerous of missions—SME’s very own panic button in the form of a 26-year-old superhero.

* * *

The next time Donghyuck stumbles upon Mark, he catches him standing right outside of Doyoung’s office.

Donghyuck tilts his head as Mark makes no move to knock. “You know he’s not in a meeting, right? You can just walk in.”

Mark seems to jump at Donghyuck’s voice beside him, and Donghyuck finds himself having to bite back a laugh. _How cute._

“Oh, uh,” Mark starts, wide eyes blinking up at him in shock. “You’re the guy who walked in on us last time.”

“Dude.” Donghyuck’s lips twitch in amusement. “Phrasing.”

It takes Mark a second, before he sputters, the tips of his ears starting to burn a bright red. “I—” Donghyuck laughs, and Mark’s bottom lip juts out in a pout. “Shut up.”

“So? Are you going in or not?”

A hesitant glance over to Doyoung’s door. “...No?”

Donghyuck studies him for a second, remembering the tense line of Mark’s shoulders during the last meeting, before nodding. “Alright.”

“Alright?”

“Yep,” Donghyuck grins, shamelessly reaching out to tug at Mark’s sleeve. “You’re coming with me then.”

Mark blinks, stumbling along after him. “I am?”

“Mhm. I know all the best places if you want to hide from Dr. Kim, if you needed to buy some time.”

“Oh, um. Okay.” There’s a hint of surprise in Mark’s voice, but Donghyuck catches the small, amused smile playing at his lips as he ducks his head. “Thanks…?”

“Donghyuck. Lee Donghyuck,” he says. “And you can thank me by paying for our coffee.”

* * *

It happens a few more times, with Mark looking a little worse for wear each time Donghyuck catches him loitering around Doyoung’s office.

Mark’s shier than he was expecting, not at all like the personality he’s seen all over the news. He’s a lot softer in person—endearing giggles muffled behind his mask, always so easily amused at Donghyuck’s antics.

Donghyuck starts to learn a thing or two about Mark, though most of it wasn’t what he was expecting. Personal anecdotes, stories about the team, and some fun tidbits about what he does on his days off when he’s not on duty. Nothing too serious.

Mark never really talks about work, so he learns not to ask.

The smile he gives Donghyuck at the end of their little escapades tells him that Mark appreciates the effort.

* * *

Mark starts to seek him out himself, after a while.

He starts making a routine of it—a quick detour after his check-ups with Doyoung, popping by the break room to see if Donghyuck was free to say hello.

(He usually was. Mark starts timing his visits to coincide with Donghyuck’s breaks.)

“So,” Donghyuck asks one day. “Am I allowed to ask you what your powers are?”

Mark snorts. “Classified information, Hyuck. Sorry.”

“Not even for a friend?”

“Nope.” A pause. “Is that what we are now?”

Donghyuck grins. “I’ve covered for your ass _twice_ , Mark Lee. If Doyoung’s gonna kill me one of these days, you at least owe me that much.”

“Fair, fair,” Mark laughs. “Friends it is.”

“Good,” Donghyuck says. Then, he nudges his shoulder against Mark’s playfully. “It’s a shame though.”

“What is?”

“Since you can’t tell me yours, I won’t tell you mine either.”

* * *

It becomes a bit of a running joke, trying to guess each others’ powers.

Donghyuck tries not to think too much of it when Mark’s visits to Doyoung’s office start happening much more frequently.

* * *

“Does it hurt?”

“What does?”

“When you use your powers? Doyoung worries sometimes.” A pause. “I do, too.”

“...”

“You don’t have to answer—”

“It does,” Mark whispers. “But not as much as after I use it.”

“After?”

“It...puts a lot of strain on my body, as you know. It’s difficult for it to keep up, once it builds.” Mark frowns. “Or to catch up, rather.”

It doesn’t really make sense to him, but he lets it slide. “Is that why you visit so often?”

“Dr. Kim makes sure I don’t push myself too far. He knows my limits better than anyone, I think.” A low chuckle. “Though, that’s probably more because of _his_ powers than anything else.”

Donghyuck frowns, before reaching out to tentatively lay a hand on top of Mark’s. When he speaks, it’s more of a whisper.

“What happens if you go past your limit?”

Mark looks down, idly playing with Donghyuck’s fingers as he thinks of what to say.

“I don’t know.”

It’s a bold-faced lie.

Maybe Mark was a better actor than Donghyuck gave him credit for.

* * *

He’s lounging in Doyoung’s office, face buried in a stack of patient dossiers, when Kim Jongin teleports into the room, suit in ruins and covered in blood.

Doyoung jumps out of his seat to steady him, but Jongin only shakes his head, eyes wild and frantic as he grips Doyoung’s arm tight enough to make him wince.

“It’s—” Jongin struggles to catch his breath. “It’s Mark.”

Doyoung’s expression turns grave, at the same time that Donghyuck’s heart plummets to his stomach. “What happened?”

“Got hurt. He’s—” Jongin swallows thickly. “He’s bleeding out faster than we can heal him.”

“What?”

Jongin shakes his head, expression crumpling into something more desperate. “His powers. It’s fluctuating because he’s going into shock, but we can’t— _fuck_ —no one can get close! I only got away because I saw it coming, but he keeps freezing time for anyone that tries to get near him and there was _so much blood—_ ”

“ _Jongin,_ ” Doyoung snaps. “I need you to calm down. Mark’s out of sync again?”

Donghyuck frowns, not catching on, and it’s only when Jongin nods and starts to explain that the picture starts to come together. There’s a nagging in the back of his head though—an instinct that leaves him restless.

“Mark got hit just before he could stop the clock,” Jongin says. He looks between the two of them with pleading eyes. “You need to save him.”

Doyoung looks stricken. “I wish I could but—” Doyoung runs a hand through his hair, gripping it in frustration. “But with his powers in the way—”

Donghyuck’s head jerks up at that, realization dawning as he quickly rushes over to the two of them. “Take _me_ instead,” he pleads, gripping onto Jongin’s arm. “Please, I can help him.”

“What?” Jongin frowns.

“It’s Time Manipulation, right?” Donghyuck says urgently. “His powers?” At Jongin’s hesitant nod, he turns to Doyoung, whose eyes start to widen in realization. “Doc, it won’t affect me, and I can stop him. _Please_ , send me instead.”

There was no more time to waste, no time to hesitate, so when Doyoung agrees, Jongin takes Donghyuck by the waist and teleports them out of Doyoung’s office faster than he could blink.

It’s an odd sensation, the feeling of time frozen around you. Unnaturally cold, even when it shouldn’t be.

Jongin freezes the moment they land, and Donghyuck immediately spots Mark lying in the field a few feet away, a pool of blood around him, staining the grass a bright red. He runs, sliding onto his knees as he brings his hands up to put pressure on Mark’s wound.

“H-hyuck?” Mark’s eyes are glassy, unfocused from all the pain. “How are you—”

Donghyuck shushes him gently, and a worried smile on his face as he looks down at Mark. “I never did tell you what my powers were, remember?” He tries for a laugh, but it comes out brittle. “Looks like today’s your lucky day, huh?”

He tries to focus on shutting down Mark’s powers, but it’s tough. Mark’s powers are everywhere, out of reach, stretching further than Donghyuck’s ever had to deal with.

“Listen, Mark,” Donghyuck says, voice tight. “I can give you first aid, but we need to unfreeze the others so we can get you to the hospital, okay? I’ll try to cancel out as much as I can, but I need you to try and pull your powers back too.” He reaches down and squeezes one of Mark’s hands. “Can you do that for me?”

Mark manages to give him a small nod, squeezing his hand weakly in return.

It’s a slow process, but eventually, he sees the team unfreeze one by one, bewildered expressions on their faces as they take in Donghyuck’s unexpected form crouched over Mark’s body. They ignore him in favour of treating Mark’s wound, and Donghyuck shifts to the side to let them work, Mark’s hand still clasped tightly between his own.

Mark blinks his eyes open, gaze focused on Donghyuck above him. There’s an understanding in Mark’s eyes, and Donghyuck knows it’s probably mirrored on his own face. He knows there’ll be a lot to talk about once Mark pulls through—Donghyuck thinks he’s felt it from the start, since that very first meeting, even though he didn’t necessarily _know_ what it all meant.

But all of that can wait.

Mark smiles. And then, he whispers, “Don’t let go.”

Donghyuck lets out a watery laugh, cradling Mark’s hand to his chest, where his heart’s started thundering a mile a minute.

“I won’t. I promise.”

* * *

Soulmates, it turns out, work a little differently when you have superpowers. Sometimes, it’s obvious.

Most of the time though, as Donghyuck has come to learn, it isn’t.

**Author's Note:**

> [cc](https://curiouscat.me/dhyuckiees) | [twitter](https://twitter.com/dhyuckIees)
> 
> trying to keep this under 3k was probably the hardest thing i've ever had to do ksjdsj tho i'm definitely considering maybe revisiting this universe in the future if people are interested !
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it though, kudos and comments are much appreciated! <3
> 
> EDIT: im officially turning this into a series haha thank you everyone for all the love! <3


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